


On Melancholy Hill

by PredAndPrey



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Camping, Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Nervousness, Romance, Stress Relief, Sweet, Thematic Thursday, wildehopps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-17
Updated: 2017-03-17
Packaged: 2018-10-06 13:40:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10335866
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PredAndPrey/pseuds/PredAndPrey
Summary: Nick and Judy have been dating for around five months now, and Nick is on a camping trip with Judy and her siblings. Nick is acting a bit strange, so Judy decides to investigate what is bothering him during a hike in the forest.





	

**Author's Note:**

> A submission for /ztg/'s Thematic Thursday camping theme. Sometimes camping can stress one person out as much as it helps another person get away and unwind (I'm certainly the former). However, I turned this situation into a cute little fluff fic about comforting your partner and learning that home can be a person rather than a place.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!
> 
> SPECIAL THANKS TO Smug Beverage for reading through this fic and offering his advice to help avoid those clunky bits you can never spot on your own. He's a fantastic Zootopia writer and you should definitely go check out his works!
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmugBeverage/pseuds/SmugBeverage

“Hey,” Judy Hopps called out to the bunnies in front of her on the hilltop. They were a mixed group of eleven bunnies, not including Judy, as well as one sheep. Five of them were Judy’s closest siblings, three of them were significant others to one of her siblings, and the remaining two bunnies plus the sheep were friends of one of her siblings. Judy brought Nick Wilde, her significant other of five months, on the yearly camping trip. Nick being a fox was quite the surprise for the members of the camping trip who did not know ahead of time. If they were being honest, Nick and Judy were growing quite fond of revealing the nature of their relationship to other mammals: the polite, stifled looks of surprise were hilarious in a way that made the bunny and fox laugh amongst themselves in private. “Nick and I will catch up with you guys at the cave, keep on going without us.”

The idle chatter was silenced as the group turned around to look at Judy and her boyfriend, the latter looking equally as surprised as the group was at Judy’s announcement.

“Everything alright, Jude?” replied the low, hesitant voice of Jimmy. Jimmy was Judy’s little brother, but most certainly only in age; he was large for a rabbit of his species, standing at half a foot taller than Judy and weighing an even more significant amount. He had the stocky, chunky build of their father, but also bigger. Despite his imposing size for a bunny, Jimmy was a gentle soul who always sounded unsure of himself. He took up his mother’s hobbies of baking and flower gardening, and enjoyed helping around the farm wherever his strength would be appreciated. 

Judy gave her brother a reassuring smile. “It’s fine, Jim. I just wanted to show Nick a more scenic route down, as well as admire this view for a bit,” she said. It was true, the hill they were currently on was one of the taller ones in the forest, and there was a parting in the tall deciduous trees that gave a wide view of the vast lake in the distance. It wasn’t anything noteworthy like the cave that Jimmy was so passionate about seeing, but it was tranquil and beautiful in its own right.

“Alright guys, let’s get a move on, Judy’s a big girl who can find her way back,” said Diana, Judy’s older sister. Diana was shorter than Judy, about their mother’s height, and had a similar build. She had wider hips and an all-around chubbier figure than Judy. She was always like that, but having a kid only added on to that plush figure that so many bunny guys were attracted to. In fact, Diana was always popular: back in school, there were bullies that Judy couldn’t fight with her fists. Gideon was simple enough to deal with despite the injuries involved, but female classmates armed with gossip and fighting with whispers was something Judy couldn’t stand up to properly. But whenever a bully got too bold about making fun of the aspiring bunny cop, Diana would be there to defend her sister, playing the game of gab a billion times better than Judy or any bully could ever dream of. She was smart, sly, social, and incredibly silver-tongued; in many ways Diana reminded Judy of Nick. Even right now Judy appreciated Diana’s social grace for recognizing the awkward air Judy had created and promptly diffusing it. She was without a doubt Judy’s closest sibling and one of her favorite mammals in the whole world.

“Just don’t let anyone catch you during your little quickie in the woods, okay, JuJu? Although from what you’ve told me it’ll be _anything but quick_ ,” Diana said, her voice oozing with smug satisfaction. She even raised a paw up to her mouth to cover the devilish grin that spread across her face.

“Start running now before I kick your fat ass down the hill, DeeDee!” Judy yelled back, flush with embarrassment. Being so close with a sibling also meant they knew exactly how to get under your skin. Diana was always the type to tease her siblings while at the same time making certain that nobody else would.

Diana broke into a fit of laughter. “I love you, JuJu! Don’t be too long,” she replied as she led the group down the hill and away from the couple. 

The two of them, dressed in tank tops and shorts, stood together on the top of the hill. The weather was warm and pleasant, lined up perfectly with Nick’s break from the academy. But despite the ideal conditions, a tension hung between the two mammals. 

Judy let out a sigh, calming herself down from her sister’s little joke. Nick, meanwhile, was smirking at Judy’s expense.

“You okay, Fluff?” he asked.

“That’s my line,” Judy deadpanned in reply. “Diana’s joke, which I apologize for, by the way, was the first time all day you look like you’ve enjoyed yourself.”

“Was I supposed to be thrilled about setting up tents?” Nick joked while turning away from Judy. He meandered over to a large rock and sat down upon it. “I guess I’m just tired, Carrots.”

Judy let out an exasperated sigh before continuing. “Nick,” she said, calling his attention to her once again. “Please don’t lie to me. I know that this hike is nothing compared to the workout you get in the academy. Something is bugging you, so what’s up?”

“The academy? Going on runs around the city with you and all the sex is way more cardio than the academy,” Nick replied. Judy clearly wasn’t in the mood for jokes, her only response being a quirked eyebrow. Nick sighed, visibly deflating in his seat while rubbing his temple with a paw. “I was gonna tell you, but I was hoping it would just go away on its own. You didn’t have to stop the hike just because you thought I was acting weird.”

Judy gently kicked at the dirt beneath her paws while standing across from Nick. “Well I’m sorry for jumping the gun but…” Judy said, pausing to thump her foot a few times as if to shake off the stress, “Nick, it’s beyond weird. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look this nervous, even counting back when we first moved in together. All day you’ve looked like your boss just called you into his office; and trust me when I say I know what that looks like. Even back when I mentioned this trip you didn’t seem very thrilled about it. Is it my family? Should I ask Diana not to be so… Diana?”

“No, your family is fine. Diana is fun to be around, Jimmy is super sweet and made me feel welcome, and the rest have all been nice to me too. The problem is…” Nick paused to motion outwards with both arms, “this.”

Judy stopped to perk her ears up and listen around her. She could hear a few species of insects chirping and the wind gently rustling the leaves above her. She spun around slowly and scanned the area with her wide eyes, greeted by the sights of trees and the lake and the winding trail. It was peaceful and serene.

And it was anything but Zootopia.

“I kinda figured as much,” Judy admitted. With a solemn droop of her ears she trudged over to Nick and sat down next to him on the rock. She leaned her head up against his arm. “I’m sorry.”

“No, please, don’t be sorry. I really wanted to come but I didn’t think I’d be affected by it this much. I feel really…” Nick explained while grasping for the right words with vague paw gestures, “stupid,” Nick admitted.

Judy gently nuzzled her head against his arm and leaned her body further into his. “You’re not stupid, Nick. You shouldn’t be ashamed of how you feel right now. Have you ever even been outside of Zootopia?”

Nick scratched the back of his neck. “I’ve been to this one town a couple hours away from Zootopia called Canidopolis. It’s nothing compared to Zootopia, but it’s still urban and populous. I’ve never been camping. I’ve never been a nature person. Stopping at your family’s farm earlier today was the first time I’ve ever been somewhere so rural and quiet. Driving out to the campsite and being in this forest has only made this sick feeling in my stomach get worse.”

Judy frowned. “Nick, your response is completely normal. You’re out of your element, of course you’re gonna feel weird. I felt the same way when I first moved to Zootopia. Everywhere I went it was so crowded and even at night there was so much noise that I couldn’t drown out while trying to sleep. My big ears certainly weren’t helping.” The ear comment at least elicited a soft laugh from Nick and scored her a few comforting pats on the head. “I was…” Judy mumbled while rubbing her arm, “a nervous mess. Just talk to me about this kinda stuff earlier, I want to make you comfortable and help you avoid feeling the way I felt back then. If there’s ever a time during this trip that you’re not feeling well then I want you to tell me. I’ll hang back at the campsite with you and we can play on our phones and talk until you feel better.”

Nick sat still for a few seconds before putting his arm around Judy and pulling her into his side. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I _want_ to do that for you. Nick, if you really wanted to get out of here I’d take us back to Bunnyburrow or even Zootopia if it made you feel better,” Judy lectured him while squeezing him back in this side-by-side hug.

A smile crept across Nick’s face. “Thanks, Judy,” he replied warmly. “I promise I’ll be okay, though. I’m still having fun, and I wasn’t lying when I said everyone has been really nice and accepting. I just can’t help but feel on edge all the way out here in the middle of nowhere. But I’ll try not to ruin your fun, you deserve to spend time with your family.”

“Will a fish dinner make you feel better?” Judy asked cheerfully while grabbing his paw and gently squeezing it.

“It usually does, but where did that come from?”

“My brothers wanted to go fishing for you. You and I are welcome to fish with them if you want. And as the only meat-eater you’ll get to eat everything we catch! I was hoping that would get you off edge and give you something nice to look forward to.”

Nick beamed and his entire body perked up. “That sounds great! I don’t know how to fish, though.”

Judy snorted with laughter. “And you think a bunch of veggie-munching bunnies do? None of us know how to fish, but we can all learn together. And when we get back we can fry them over the campfire together.”

“Hope nobody minds the smell.”

“Well then they can go upwind,” Judy stated with serious finality.

Nick smirked down at his little bunny girlfriend protecting his right to eat fish. “You’re so good to me,” Nick said.

“Well,” Judy replied while nervously kicking her feet back and forth, “I’m only repaying the favor.”

Nick turned to look at her and waited for her to go on, squeezing her gently with his continued one-armed embrace.

“Do you even realize how many times you’ve helped me back in Zootopia? Whether it was getting lost or not knowing how something works, you taught me how to move around the city like you do.” Judy let out a relaxed sigh. “But the most important thing you did for me was give me a home. Ever since we moved in together, no, ever since I had feelings for you all I wanted was to be by your side. When I was on my own for the first time, away from my family and alone in that crummy apartment, I was extremely homesick. If I wasn’t so optimistic about being a cop, those feelings of loneliness and unease in a new environment would have put me on the next train to Bunnyburrow. I know how you feel, Nick: being out of your element is really scary. But ever since we patched things up and I got to know you better…” Judy said, stopping to hug Nick with both arms and give him a loving squeeze, “those feelings went away whenever I was with you. I could always count on you to brighten up my day and make me feel like Zootopia is exactly where I was meant to be.”

A silence hung between them as Judy stared up at Nick. Nick blinked a couple times but was unable to take his eyes off of Judy’s beautiful, supportive expression. A cool breeze blowing through his fur snapped Nick back to attention. “Wow, that was, uh, really sweet…” Nick said, feeling his cheeks heat up at Judy’s sudden tenderness, “I don’t know what to say, Carrots-“

Judy silenced Nick by grabbing his muzzle and giving him a quick kiss on the lips. “I love you,” she told him sweetly. Nick sat there, stunned. Three simple words and a pair of gentle violet eyes spoke volumes to Nick, soothing his unquiet mind.

He subconsciously began to wag his tail and pulled Judy onto his lap, facing him. “That phrase always seems to do the trick. Okay, here I go: I love you, Judy Hopps. And since I’m your arm to cling to back in Zootopia, I hope you don’t mind if I stick to you like glue for the rest of this camping trip.”

Judy gave a hum of pleasure. “I’d like nothing more.”

Nick leaned forward towards the face of the bunny sitting on his lap and gave her a longer, more passionate kiss on the lips. He delicately placed his large paw behind her head and pulled her into the kiss, reveling in their proximity as Judy wrapped her arms around him and felt his lithe back muscles. His tail was wagging the entire time and his heart began to pang with sentimentality. This was the effect Judy Hopps had on him. A smile, some loving words, and a hug. Just like that, Judy was his perfect medicine for any situation.

The two slowly broke the kiss. “Thank you, Judy. And you were right: this hill has a beautiful view,” Nick said softly while gazing into her eyes. She giggled softly and smiled that heartwarming smile of hers. “Now let’s go catch up before your sister really thinks we are sneaking in a quickie.”

“Now that you mention it…” Judy said while mischievously rubbing her butt against Nick’s crotch. She could already feel something hard beneath Nick’s shorts beginning to poke at her.

“Oh my gosh, Judy. No.” Nick replied, becoming more flustered the more he felt himself grow under Judy’s grinding.

Judy giggled deviously before giving Nick a quick kiss on the nose. “I’m kidding. Ready to head back?”

Nick grabbed hold of Judy and stood up, carrying her in front of him as she clung to his chest. Judy let out a tiny “eep” as she was suddenly picked up and Nick let loose the heartiest laugh he’d felt in the past few days. “I’m ready,” he told her, “as long as I’m with you.”

**Author's Note:**

> _'Cause you are my medicine when you're close to me_


End file.
